The invention relates to a safety switch assembly having a switch installation having at least one switching member and at least one actuation installation having an assigned actuator, wherein a transmission installation having at least one transmission member which is coupleable or coupled to the switching member, on the one hand, and to the at least one actuator, on the other hand, is provided between the actuation installation and the switch installation.
Switch and key transfer systems are employed as safety installations in industrial production facilities. Said switch and key transfer systems serve as a protection for operators who operate dangerous machinery. Said switch and key transfer systems thus are a safety installation for at least one isolating protective installation or blockage installation, or a device for monitoring the state of a protective installation of a machine or a plant, in particular key transfer systems, safety switches, or hybrids derived therefrom or the like, for monitoring the safe state of machines, plants, or the like.
Such systems are known in principle, and are commonly used in the case of safety switches. The design of safety switches herein is based on various concepts in terms of functionality, application and set-up potentials of the safety level to be achieved and in terms of the effort to be invested. First, electromechanical locking mechanisms which are constructed in a single-channel and thus in such a simple manner such that any fault arising rapidly leads to a malfunction or to a loss in functionality are thus known in the prior art for instance from U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,484 A, CN 102150230 A, GB 2305964 A, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,102 A, which is why a plurality of locking mechanisms of this type are often installed in machines and plants having an increased risk potential. An actuation element of an electromechanical locking mechanism that is constructed from two parts is known for instance from DE 102 009 053 717 A1, said electromechanical locking mechanism however by virtue of the still single-channel structure thereof not representing any improvement at this point.
In order for this disadvantage to be alleviated, the safety switches can also be provided with electronic locking mechanisms. On account thereof, individual faults become capable of being diagnosed, but a type of wiring which renders the respective systems sensitive to environmental influences is required to this end; however, these systems can be readily combined with command stations and interfaces with HMI functions.
A mechanical locking system as a key transfer system which by virtue of the conception thereof does not provide/require any wiring but in terms of the coupling of the elements thereof is again constructed in a single-channel manner is known from patent document US 2003/140669 A1. At this point, the potential for integrating further functions such as command buttons and/or HMI interfaces is missing.
EP 1489694 A1 discloses a key transfer system that is constructed from modules and combined with an electronic system. Despite the potential for integrating command functions, the system in mechanical terms is again structured in a single-channel manner. The modules therein by virtue of the construction thereof are not alignable in an arbitrary manner and prevent a transfer of electrical or electronic command functions across mechanical modules. Moreover, said modules are susceptible to faulty sealing and to this extent sensitive to ingress of water into the modules, as such ingress can lead to short circuits. Moreover, electrical connections of the system are sensitive to stress by way of bending moments.
EP 1 984 932 A1 discloses a modular mechanical key transfer system which is combined with the functional capabilities of electrical locking mechanisms. This system herein is capable of diagnosing individual faults in the mechanical train thereof; however problems in transferring electrical or electronic functions so as to bypass mechanical modules arise here too, such that these functional capabilities in modules are to be disposed on one side above or below mechanical units. Moreover, a transmission of force that is subject to improvement complicates any miniaturization of the internal gearbox therein.
Finally, a possibility for directing electrical or electronic functions as signals so as to bypass mechanical functions or modules in the sense of an external conduit is known from DE 10 2011 121 235 A1, this being sensitive to interruptions, on the one hand, and also susceptible to potential manipulations in an undesirable manner.